France's five major trade unions had all declined by Tuesday morning to negotiate with the government over the controversial First Employment Contract (CPE) sponsored by French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

Villepin wrote on Monday to the five unions -- CGT, FO, CFDT, CFTC, and CFE-CGC -- to invite them to his office at 3:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) on Wednesday to discuss possible adjustments to be made to the CPE, which was adopted by the French parliament two weeks ago.

On Monday evening, CFDT and FO said they would not be present at the meeting, as long as Villepin had no intention of abolishing the CPE, the unions' precondition to open negotiation over youth employment.

CGT, CFE-CGC and the Christian union CFTC also refused on Tuesday morning.

Student organizations, which have also received an invitation from Villepin for a meeting at the prime minister's residency at the Matignon palace at 6:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Wednesday, are yet to give an answer. But most of them refused to be present at the previous meeting on Saturday.

The CPE, according to the French government, would make it easier for employers to hire younger workers, but opponents have argued it is a breach of the country's hard-won labor rights and will make it more difficult than ever for young people to find long-term jobs.

Wide-spread protests against the law have been ongoing for weeks. Across the country, police have made more than 1,400 arrests since the trouble erupted, and at least 400 people have been injured -- more than half of them police officers.

Source: Xinhua